Machine for dressing hides, skins, &amp;c.



No. 889,146. PATENTBD MAY 26, 1908'.

I J. w; ODONNELL. MACHINE FOR DRESSING muss, SKINS, &0.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 23 1907.

3 SHEBTS-SHEET l.

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PATENTED MAY 26, 1908.

No. 889,146. I

- J. w. ODONNELL.

MACHINE FOR DRESSING HIDES, SKINS, aw.

APPLICATION FILED IEIB. 23; 1907.

3 EEEETS-SHEET 2.

1n: nanms PETERS COQWASHINGTON. D c.

PATENTED MAY 26, 1908.

J. W. ODONNELL. I MAGHINB FOR DRESSING HIDES, SKINS, 6:0.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 23 1907=- 12x5 cm. wasumarau. n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN WILLIAM OlDONNELL, OF LEICESTER, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR TO GIMSON & COMPANY, (LEIOESTEB,) LIMITED, OF LEICESTER, ENGLAND.

MACHINE FOR DRESSING HIDES, SKINS, 85c.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 26, 1908.

Application filed February 23, 1907. Serial No. 358,993.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN WILLIAM ODON- NELL, subject of the King of Great Britain, of 120 Gwendolen road, Leicester, England, and formerly of Narborough Road, Leicester, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in or Relating to Machines for Dressing Hides, Skins, and the Like, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to machines for dressing hides, skins and the like and refers more especially to machines used for the processes of unhairing, fleshing, scudding, striking-out, putting-out, setting, sammying, and analogous operations performed upon hides or skins during-their manufacture into leather.

Hitherto machines for performing the operations referred to have comprised generally one or more knives, slickers or analogous working tools, hereinafter designated working tools, and a table, drum or traveling endless band, on which the hide or skin to betreated has been placed and carried thereby into contact with the working tool or tools. These machines have been arranged to 0p erate principally in either one of two methods, that is, a machine has had its. drum or band continuously driven in one direction to carry a hide or skin straight through the ma chine, or according to the other method, a machine has had its drum or band driven in one direction to carry part of a hide or skin under the treatment of the working tool or tools and then reversed to carry the remaining untreated portion of the skin under the tool or tools to complete the whole treatment of the skin. According to the first of these methods of operation, a hide or skin when once it had been fed into the machine on one side had to pass straight through it and. leave by the opposite side and if any portions of the hide or skin were missed or not worked by the one passage through the machine the hide or skin had to be carried round to the feed side of the machine and passed through again, this operation being repeated until the whole surface of the skin had been completely treated.

According to the second method before mentioned, a hide or skin was carried artly through the machine to bring one haf or a portion of the surface under the treatment of the tool or tools the direction of travel of the drum or band then being reversed to bring the untreated portion of the hide or skin into contact with the tool or tools to com lete the treatment of the whole surface. f in the one operation upon the hide or skin its surface was not thoroughly treated, the skin at a single continuous operation inasmuch as a reversal of the drum or band was necessary in order to bring the whole surface of the hide or skin under the treatment of the tool or tools.

Now the object of the present invention is to construct a machine wherein the hide carrier is capable of either a continuous travel in one direction to carry a hide or skin straight through the machine so that the hide may be completely dressed in one continuous operation, or the said carrier is capable, in the event of any portion or portions of the hide or skin requiring more than one treatment under the working tools, of having its direction of travel reversed to carry the hide or skin under the tools more than once the result being that a hide or skin may be completely or wholly dressed during a single passage through the machine and without requiring to be fed into, or passed through the machine more than once or having some portion or portions left untreated when it leaves the machine.

In order to carry this invention into eifect, a machine, according to one embodiment, comprises a plurality of working tools for dressing or treating hides or skins on the flesh or grain side according to the different operations for which the said hide or skin is being dressed or treated and means by which the hide or skin may be carried into contact with the said working tools, and, if needs be, moved to and fro thereunder, in such a manner that the hide or skin does not pass through or out of the machine until its whole surface has been completely and effectually treated by the working tools. To accomplish this result the hide or skin to be treated 1 is carried into contact with the working tools by, for example, a traveling endless band or bed which, as well as moving in one direction, to'feed the hide or skin, is capable of a reverse or reciprocatory movement '5. e. a movement also in an opposite direction (under the control of the operator) when desired, so that as the hide or skin passes through the machine, the operator upon perceiving an unworked or uncleaned portion pass the last working tool, may, by moving a lever or foot pedal which operates suitable intermediate mechanism, reverse the direction of travel of the band or bed, and hide or skin thereon and cause such unworked parts of the skin to be again submitted to the action of the working tools without the hide or skin being moved from the feed band or bed. The motion may then be again reversed to the first direction and so on until the whole hide or skin, by being moved to and fro under the working tools, is properly treated.

In order that the invention may be readily understood reference is made in describing the same to the accompanying drawings,

wherein,

Figure 1, shows an end elevation of a machine constructed according to this invention. Fig. 2., is a plan of the same partly in section and Fig. 3., is vertical sectional view of the improved machine showing the parts in the positions they occupy when the machine is in motion.

Like parts are designated by the same reference characters in all figures.

Referring to the drawings, 2 is an endless feed band capable of a reciprocatory move ment, mounted and driven preferably as hereinafter described, and adapted to carry the hides or skins. 3, 3 is a pair of pinch or binder rolls to maintain the hides or skins on the band 2 and take them through the machine, and 1, 4 are the working tools, which are located one on each side of the pinch rolls 3, 3 and act on the hides or skins as the latter pass through the machine to dress them in the manner desired.

The above mentioned operative members of the machine are carried between side frames or standards 5 cast or wrought in iron or steel to any convenient design and the feed band or traveling bed 2 may be arranged in a horizontal or'inclined position but is preferably arranged as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. The said band 2 is carried on drums or spreading rollers 6 adjustable towards and away from each other tova-ry the tension of said band, such adjustment being obtained by means of adjusting screws 7 and sliding bearings 8 located in guideways 9 in the side frames 5, or any other well known means of adjustment may be employed.

The upper run of the traveling band 2 passes between the pair of pinch or binder rolls 3, 3 in order that the top roll 3 of said pair may press or hold the hide or skin in con tact with the surface of the band. The lower pinch roll 3 is preferably carried in fixed bearings 10, the upper roll 3 being controlled by the springs 11 and adapted to move vertically in slots formed in the side frames 5, said springs 11 tending to. constantly keep the upper roll 3 in close contact with the band 2 as the latter passes over the lower roll 3. The tension of the said springs 11 may be adjusted by means of screwed bolts 12 working in screwed sockets 13 in an upward extension 14 of the said side frames 5.

The working tools 4, 4 are carried, according to the preferred arrangement, by pivoted and counterbalanced arms 15, each arm being pivoted at 16 to the side frames 5 and having a connection by means of a vertical rod 17 to a pivoted lever 17 which is actuated as shown by the foot pedal 18 pivoted in a bearing 19 in the base of the framework of the machine. The counterweights 20 on the said pivoted arms 15 are arranged to normally hold the working tools 4, 4 up clear of the traveling band 2 and when in this position a hide or skin may be readily inserted into the machine and up to the pinch rolls 3, 3 but upon one of the foot pedals 18 aforesaid being depressed by the operator the pivoted arm 15 connected to that particular pedal will rock on its pivot 16 and carry the working tool supported by it into contact with the hide or skin on the band 2.

The working tools 4, 4 are driven in opposite directions by open and crossed belts 21, 22 respectively Fig. 1, from a pulley 23, driven from any convenient source of power and the traveling band 2 is driven by means of sprockets 24 connected with the lower hinder or pinch roll 3 and the two spreading rolls 6 by means of an endless chain or belt 25.

The pinch or binder rollers 3, 3 are driven from a countershaft 26 throughthe medium of gear wheels, and pinions 27, 28, 29 & 30, Fig. 3, and in order to be able to reverse the motion of said rolls 3, 3 and traveling band 2 the countershaft 26 has running free there on two clutch mounted pulleys 31, 32, Fig. 2, driven in opposite directions by open and crossed belts, 33, 34, Fig. 3, respectively.

A double ended .clutch or cone sleeve 35 slidable on a feather in the countershaft 26 is adapted to engage either of said clutch pulleys 31, 32 and transmit the motion to the countershaft, such cone sleeve 35 being con nected to and adapted to be movedinto engagement with either pulley by a hand lever 36 or a foot pedal located preferably on each side of the machine in order that the operator on either side may reverse the motion of the rolls 3, 3*, and traveling band 2 when necessary.

When a hide or skin is fed into the machine it will be obvious that that portion which is located between the first working tool 4 and the pinch rolls 3, 5 will not be dressed or worked when the said pinch rolls carry the hide or skin through the machine, but upon coming into contact with the second tool 45 the unworked portion will be operated upon. Any other part of the hide or skin passing the said second tool without being dressed may be carried back to the tool, by the operator reversing the direction of the traveling band by moving either of the hand levers 36.

In order to carry the upper run of the travcling band 2 into close contact with the working tools 4, 4 and also to vary the point of contact of said tools and traveling band for various processes, such as unhairing, finehairing, and scudding, small supporting or liftingrollers 37 may be arranged under that portion of the band which is near the said tool. These supports or lifting rollers 37 are carried between the side frames 5 and rendered capable of adjustment vertically therein by means of setting up screws 38 or their equivalents.

The working tools 4, 4 are supported rotatably in cappedbearings 39 at the ends of the pivoted arms 15 so that on removing the caps of the said bearings the tools may be readily lifted out and replaced by other cylindrical tools provided with differently formed surfaces to adapt the machine for performing the operations which may be required. The working or acting surfaces of the said tools may be formed in the manner usually employed for the different processes, and the traveling band and pinch rollers may be constructed of a material suitable for their respective functions. v

In the operation of the machine, an operator stands at each side thereof 'i. '6. one at the front side to feed in the hides or skins and one at the delivery side. Each operator brings a working tool into operation upon the hide or skin as is required. As the hide passes through the machine the operator on the delivery side fixes his attention upon the treated surface as it passes from under the tools and if the said surface is thoroughly treated as it passes out, the skin is allowed to travel forward in a continuous operation and so pass straight through the machine. If however the operator on the delivery side notices that a portion or portions of the skin pass from under the tools without receiving a thorough treatment, this operator by manipulating the hand lever 36 reverses the direction of travel of the band to carry the untreated portion or portions of the hide or skin again under the treatment of the tools this direction of travel being continued until the particular untreated portions of the hide pass from under the tools on the feed side of the machine whereupon the operator on the said feed side reverses the travel of the band to carry. the hide or skin forward again. This reversing operation is repeated as often as may be required until the whole surface of the hide or skin has been thoroughly dressed.

What I claim then is 1. A machine of the kind herein-described comprising the combination of a plurality of working tools, an endless traveling feed band to carry the hides or skins under the operation of said tools, means operable by foot pedals to carry said tools and move same into and out of contact with the work, a pair of pinch rolls to maintain the work upon the band, and means for driving said traveling band and pinch rolls so that a hide or skin may be thoroughly treated and carried in one continuous operation through the machine or maybe moved to and fro under the operation of the tools during a single treatment in the machine.

2. A machine of the kind herein-described comprising the combination of a plurality of working tools, an endless traveling feed band to carry the hides or skins under the operation of said tools, means operable by foot pedals to carry said tools and move same into and out of contact with the work, a pair of pinch rolls located intermediate of said working tools to maintain the work upon the band so that it may be operated upon while traveling in either direction and mechanism consisting of oppositely driven pulleys on a counter-shaft having a double ended clutch located thereon actuated by a hand lever to engage either of said pulleys continuously or both alternately so that the feed band may v travel in one direction continuously to carry a hide or skin through the machine under the operation of the working tools in one continuous operation or may have its direction of travel successively reversed at will to repeatedly treat the hide or skin and while it is traveling in either directionuntil it is completely and wholly dressed substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN WILLIAM ODON N ELL.

Witnesses:

E. N. LEWIS, GEORGE LESTER. V j 

